Time Off
by battleshipxx101
Summary: "Hmph," was Pote's first word after a long silence. "You two acting like a married couple now?" "I have no idea what you're talking about." Fluff. A little domestic James x Teresa, and Pote, who notices all.


**Author's Note: Okay, someone has got to explain why there's barely any QOTS fanfics here. Where are all the Jeresa writers!? Anyway, here's a little piece of fluff, debuting as my entry into this fandom.**

 **Set during midway of Season 2, but on no particular timeline. Nothing too dramatic or chaotic or anything. Just some time off. ENJOY!**

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"Yeah, we're on the way back to the house now."

The radio was playing softly in the background as the light of the sun seeped through the window of the driver's side.

"Got it. Have a good trip."

James dropped his phone and focused his attention on the road ahead. He and Pote had just finished a meeting with a distributor who wanted to renegotiate the terms of her business with Camila given that the distributor was passing it on to her son. The two men were then sent by Camila to handle it as she herself was flying out of the country to be with her family upon Isabela's request.

"Hey," Pote's voice rumbled from the back.

His companion glanced at the rearview mirror curiously.

"What do you say we take a drive-thru at Burger King before we get back to the house, eh?"

James blinked and for a moment he wasn't sure how to react.

"Don't give me that look," Pote continued from the back, looking outside the window. "I skipped breakfast to go this meeting. Besides, I could use this time off to relax. And you and I both know you're also jumping for joy _porque nuestra jefa no esta aqui para el fin de semana_."

"Fine," replied James, who tried his best to hide the smirk underneath the stoic front he always put up. "Burger King it is."

James couldn't help but echo Pote's words in his thoughts. He _could_ use some time off this weekend as well—of course, without letting his guard down completely while Camila was away. Pote was right. They were all a little glad that they could loosen up a little. And oddly enough, Burger King seemed the right way to begin this weekend.

As the car descended from the skyway, James spotted the sign that led to the famous burger joint. Within a few minutes, he was turning towards the drive-thru lane.

"Should I call Teresa, ask what she wants?" Pote offered, already pulling his phone out.

"No, I got it. I know what she likes." James told him in a seemingly nonchalant tone. It didn't pass Pote's sharp senses though, and the young leather-clad muscle could feel Pote's eyes on him through the mirror.

Soon enough, the SUV started to smell like burgers and onion rings, and they went back on the road.

"Hmph," was Pote's first word after a long silence. They were now approaching the gate of Camila's house. "You two acting like a married couple now?"

James momentarily ignored him as he rounded the fountain in front of the main doors.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said as he unloaded his bags from the passenger's side.

"Ordering food for each other…Having wine nights every now and then," Pote pointed out as he also unloaded the takeout bag and his belongings from the car. "Just be careful, Valdez." Pote warned. "If Camila finds out, you know what she'll make you do."

James looked his companion in the eye, trying to get a read on what he really wanted to say. He knew Pote ended up with their circus because he was trying to protect Teresa. Pote had her back, and James was beginning to understand that even in matters outside the business, Pote's concern drew on. The old man's loyalty was never with Camila but more with Teresa—something he couldn't help but be glad about.

"Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about, Pote." He finally answered coolly, before heading inside.

 _Damn._ If it was becoming obvious to any observant eye that he and Teresa were getting closer, then he was surely in trouble.

-  
The house was always quiet. It was too big for only a few of them, but James grew to appreciate the space it gave him when he needed to think. And right now, the spot outside his room, overlooking the rest of the mansion's garden, was exactly where he needed to be.

He rarely gave himself the time to think about his own world. His head was always in assignments, meetings, deliveries—anything Camila would ask. But some days, all he wanted to do was stand outside and watch the rest of the world move on its own for a while.

Then, a low rumble of tires trudging along the stone driveway caught his attention. Without meaning to, James found himself letting a very faint smile appear on his face as he recognized the car approaching the front of the house.

"James?" A firm yet relaxed voice called from the doors as James went down the stairs and walked through the hallway leading to the lavish living room.

"Hey," he greeted, noticing a hint of a smile from her lips as her eyes as they locked with his. He casually leaned against the divider a few feet away.

"Did you just get back?" Teresa asked, setting her bags on the floor.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago. How was the meeting with Kevin Craig?"

"It went as planned, he agreed to let us use his boats immediately. We had the right timing too. It seems his former supplier is officially ghosting him and he's getting worried about his next deliveries. How about your meeting with Paula Vicar?"

Teresa fished out her water tumbler from the bag and started to walk towards the other side of the room to head to the kitchen. James followed suit as he gave his own updates on the Vicar meeting.

"Camila made the right calls this week. She can relax for the weekend." Teresa concluded.

"Yeah, and so can the rest of us." James added. "Oh, by the way, there's Burger King on the counter, if you're hungry."

"You went for drive-thru?" She asked with an expression of incredulity and amusement.

James shrugged as he watched her open the bag. "Pote was hungry."

The woman across the white marble counter chuckled softly, "Whatever happened to starting his diet? Which one is for me?" She pulled out two burgers and two sets of onion rings.

"Brown one," replied James. "Double whopper with cheese, extra pickles."

"Nice! I love this greasy crap." With that, she took a huge bite of the burger and sighed contently. James shook his head amusedly for a moment, before grabbing his own burger and munching on it too.

Teresa ripped open the ketchup pack as James combined the onion rings in one pile in between them.

"Are we still including Heimer in next week's deliveries?" She asked, grabbing two glasses from the cabinet underneath.

"Camila's still thinking it over. She doesn't like conceding to volatile distributors, and if Heimer doesn't cool down, we might have to cut him off. And it won't be pretty."

James took another bite of his burger before turning around and opening the fridge behind him. He stepped back and silently put his question forward.

"Orange, please." Teresa replied, without missing a beat. "Heimer knows he can't get a product better than ours here. He'll come crawling back after his tantrum. Just hopefully not this weekend."

She pushed the glasses in between them and James filled them with the spiked juice that Pote made the other day.

"Thanks," Teresa said, grabbing her drink and washing down the grease. "Of all the things that we've gone through, the biggest surprise is still the fact that Pote could make good summer cocktails."

They shared a laugh at that. And as they finished their food, Teresa's phone rang, her screen showing an unknown caller ID. She turned around and walked a few steps away from the kitchen to answer it.

Behind her, James quietly waited. He had learned to pick up Teresa's tell over time, and judging from her tone and relaxed mannerism, that unknown caller was probably Tony. He then remembered that she promised to see the kid today after her meetings, since Camila was away for some time anyway.

"That was Tony." She told him. They have gone a long way since she first trusted him with information about the kid she was unofficially guardian to. Truthfully, Teresa was glad she could tell someone about Tony, in case anything ever happened to her.

"Are you leaving already?" _Jeez, James. Could you sound any more obvious?_

"In an hour, maybe. Anyway, thanks for the burger." She said as she exited the kitchen to head to her bedroom. "Next time, I'm buying!"

He watched her go, the faint smile on his lips returning.

That is, until he heard someone come into the kitchen.

 _Pote._

"No idea, huh, kid?" He said in his usual grumbling tone. "Keep telling yourself that."

"What the hell, Pote? How long have you been standing there eavesdropping?" He could feel his face warming up, betraying his slight embarrassment.

"Not sure, maybe somewhere between Teresa falling in love with the burger and you falling in love with her." Pote said humorlessly.

With that, James balled up the wrapper in front of him and chucked it against his head.

 _Damn you, Pote._

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 **AN: Like I said, nothing too dramatic, just a little Domestic!AU. Hope you guys liked it! Will return soon.  
**


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